


Never Leave You Alone

by LocketShoru



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Saint Seiya, 聖闘士星矢: 冥王神話 | Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Angst, Budding Romance, Dryad Luco's POV, M/M, Saint Seiya Rarepair Week 2020, Sibling Incest, Twincest, no beta we die like gold saints
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LocketShoru/pseuds/LocketShoru
Summary: [Day 7: Modern AU, Times of Peace, Sole Survivor] Lugonis made a wish. Luco followed him. It was the best idea, and the worst, and they didn't know any better.
Relationships: Pisces Lugonis/Dryad Luco
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3
Collections: Saint Seiya Rarepair Week 2020





	Never Leave You Alone

**Author's Note:**

> **Major spoilers for PMMM episodes 10-11.** If you do not know Homura's arc, do not read. I will not be responsible for you spoiling yourself on such an amazing series.
> 
> See, I saw the prompt list, I immediately thought "oh shit that's perfect for a Madoka AU", I got this far and realized that Madoka does _not_ , in _any_ way, lend itself easily to prose. It's a very visual, auditory series. You can't write this shit nearly as well as you can animate or compose it.  
> So have some "Pale is fucking trying his best" twincest. Underage because they're like 12. The last fic will be done tonight, I swear to gods. Then it's probably radio silence until December, because NaNoWriMo.  
> This takes place in one of Homura's timelines but definitely not the last one. It actually does not matter which one.  
> Also, if someone knows how the fuck you tag another fandom's AU, please tell me, that would be great.

It's hard to keep a wish alive. It's hard to keep believing, no matter what happens, knowing what happens if you fail. Lugonis, the elder, had made a wish before Luco did. They had been playing in the small park, two eight-year-old boys with wooden sticks and adventures of make-believe on the mind. They had learned all about growing up, and stars, and wishes, and kisses, and remembering how to fly.

He had asked for Neverland, in his way, to be a Lost Boy in every manner and form. But there were still pirates, or 'witches', as Kyubey called them, and they had to be killed if he wanted to keep flying, keep the pixie dust and the magic alive.

Luco had known about witches and pirates and kisses as long as Lugonis had made his wish. The park a ten-minute walk from their house was their Neverland, a labyrinth of their own making. Lugonis conjured pixielight and shadows and swords, and Luco flew with him, sticks to swords and thimbles to shields, playing Wendy Darling in her innocent nightgown and all the stars of the night.

There were other magical children, too. They didn't see them often, but they were there, darting into parts of town they weren't allowed to go just yet, parts of town they flew over together, Lugonis laughing and Luco holding on like the mortal child he was.

The Needle Witch. The Dress-Up Witch. The Music Witch. And so many more, pirates and witches and all sorts of things that came out in the fall.

Luco watched as his brother shimmered out of his school uniform and into the uniform of a magical child, wondering what sort of pirate they were going to look for today. It cost magic to fly, to not be seen by those who didn't understand their mission. He tilted his head to one side, pressing his temple against Kyubey. The cat-like familiar was the only one who was allowed to know, and he made it clear that not even their father could be told about the pirates.

Every day after school, they would take to the skies. Lugonis' outfit had changed as he grew, becoming a bit less frilly, a bit more sedated, a bit more grown-up. Kyubey noted that this was rare, as magical children often grew out of it, though he didn't specify what that entailed. Lugonis looked up, and smiled.

"Ready to go hunting pirates?" he asked. His voice was still soft, still being held prisoner by the ghosts of childhood. They would be entering middle school in the fall, and it was almost the end of May. It was an exciting prospect.

Luco nodded. He already had on a good raincoat, and his boots were knee-high rubber. Lugonis would be transforming his favourite stick into a sword he could use, and from there, his job would be to distract the pirate's first mates so Lugonis could take down the pirate captain, in whatever form she chose to take.

The weather reporter was saying that unless something drastically changed, they might be issuing the evacuation order the next morning. Their father was already packing for that possibility, reaching for a second duffel bag that he was packing with supplies and important paperwork. Getting out to hunt pirates was going to be interesting.

"I'm ready," he said. "Sure you got a Grief Seed to keep you going in the air?" That was the one caveat they had found to flying. It drained Lugonis' magic, and anything that drained his magic would darken his soul gem. They had to be quick about finding pirates to hunt.

"I've got three, I'm okay," Lugonis answered, and he offered his hand. Luco took it, pulling it to his lips and brushing a kiss across the leather of his knuckles. Lugonis blushed.

Another thing they would never tell a soul. Kyubey didn't understand it. That was all right. He didn't have to understand, he just had to help them find pirates. They stepped out onto the back porch, a closed unit eyeing the rain. Luco drew up his hood, fastening it just under his chin. Lugonis had a poncho he wore loosely over his uniform. They smiled at each other.

Luco held up a thimble he had stolen from their father years prior, when Lugonis had first become a magical child. He pressed a kiss to it, offering it to his twin, who did the same. Lugonis' kiss, though, held something that Luco's never would. The thimble glittered, and so did the both of them, a pretty golden sparkle of pixie dust. Lugonis, hand secure in Luco's, kicked off from the ground, and they were off.

The flight was almost peaceful, once they had soared above the clouds and found drier skies. Lugonis' soul gem glittered, a shade dark than it usually was. Luco extended the arm holding his sword, allowing them to straighten out and soar faster along the winds. Lugonis kept his eyes on the ground, scanning for a pirate, scanning for a labyrinth that might lead them to their goal.

A few days ago, another magical child had been reported dead on the news. Her name had been Sayaka. They'd seen her once or twice, darting in and out of the Red Light District and using a different kind of sword than they were used to. She was older, and more powerful, and they stayed out of her way.

Kyubey had agreed with this. Magical children were not meant to team up. If they did, they tended to get hurt. It was best for Lugonis and Luco to stick together.

Lugonis tilted them downward, diving, descending, falling until they came to a stop just outside a hospital. Neither flinched. Pirates were born where people were sad. Hospitals were a good place for people to die, and if people died, the survivors were always sad. It made perfect sense for there to be a pirate near a hospital.

Luco squeezed his hand, scanning the alleyway for a sign of a labyrinth. Lugonis was the one who spotted it, tugging his brother along as he ran towards it. "There it is, let's see what kind of pirate we're dealing with tonight," he called. He stopped a half pace from the tiny swirling vortex, reaching out with his gloved hand to open it up.

The Pirate's Brand on it showcased a lizard, coiled in on itself. "Reptile Pirate," Luco commented, and they stepped into the labyrinth.

Labyrinths were… broken. They existed in a perpetuity of stop-motion and disarray, gravity-defying towers of discarded objects and rife with warped creatures. Lugonis reached over, tapping Luco's stick, and it shifted properly into a sword. Luco reached back, grabbing both of his hands and entwining their fingers.

"Faith, trust, and pixie dust," he murmured. Lugonis closed his eyes briefly, smiling, and pressed their foreheads together. Luco's rain clothes melted away to show a matching outfit, less ruffled and tighter around his abdomen, like a corset, Lugonis' choker matching Luco's gloves in their favourite colour.

"Time to play," Lugonis answered, and they dove into the labyrinth.

They had ignored the evacuation order, vanishing from the bathroom through a window out into the storm. Kyubey had disagreed with this choice of action. But it was all right. Lugonis couldn't be killed unless his soul gem broke, and Luco couldn't be killed so long as he was wearing Lugonis' magic for a costume. They were together, Peter Pan and his Wendy Darling, and there wasn't a way to separate them. The storm couldn't hurt them.

The pirate controlling the storm was a different matter. She looked like a jester, and she was huge. Easily the biggest pirate either had ever seen.

"You need to turn back," Kyubey said, leaping down from Luco's shoulder. Both boys froze. "That is a witch known as Walpurgisnacht. You can't fight her, you'll die."

"Yeah, but she's destroying the city, and if she isn't stopped, she's going to get a lot of people hurt," Lugonis answered. "We can't be killed. Papa can be. So we've got to go stop her."

"She's big. She's also one more pirate, and we did a good job with the one last night," Luco added. "We've got four Grief Seeds if we lose our magic. It'll be fine." There was still two of them, able to do what one could not.

Lugonis nodded, and glittered for a moment, and there he was in all his frills and swords and feathered hat. He grinned. "Faith, trust-"

"-And pixie dust." Luco's clothes glittered, and shifted to match. They were ready. They had always been ready. 

Kyubey tensed. "It isn't that easy," he said. His face hadn't changed, and his voice always emanated from him. Neither thought it strange - he was just an animate plush toy, after all.

An explosion rattled in the distance. Luco turned towards the sound, towards the pirate Walpurgisnacht. "Is another magical child fighting her?" he asked. That was different. Other magical children, other Lost Boys and Girls, were dangerous. Pirates could be killed, restored Lugonis' magic when they did. Other magical children couldn't be. They fought as good as Lugonis could, and the only thing that they could do was avoid them.

"Yes," Kyubey said.

"They won't have to know we're helping," Lugonis said, slowly, eyebrows furrowed. "We can help stop her, and we won't take the Grief Seed, and the other won't know we were ever there. We can defeat anything, because there's two of us. Our fellow might be alone."

Luco nodded. "Then let's go help." He knelt to scoop Kyubey from the ground, settling him back on his shoulder, and tightened his grip on Lugonis' hand.

They jumped into the air, soaring towards the sound of explosions. Sure enough, in just a few moments, Luco could see a single magical child, magic a blaze of violet, launching more explosives than anyone really needed.

He could tell the moment he got a closer look that it wasn't going to be enough explosives. Walpurgisnacht was taking the hits without stopping. She laughed, a horrid, wicked sound.

"Lugonis look out!" he yelped, and yanked them down twenty feet, pulling a sword from his boot and throwing it at a first mate, its glittering body the silhouette of stars. It exploded, to be replaced by five more. Lugonis pulled Luco in, throwing his arms around his neck, tossing swords at the familiars.

The sound of a gun fired. They dropped another twenty feet, throwing swords, reaching for more as they appeared. The first mates multiplied. They weren't going to be enough. Lugonis snarled, dropping until his toes touched the top of a skyscraper. He spun a quick loop, summoning more swords, spinning them to point outwards. Luco held onto his neck, legs wrapped around his hips. He pulled an arm upward, closing his hand into a fist.

"We need a kiss," he said, and Lugonis nodded. He jumped into the air, swords ascending with them. They sliced through first-mates, the thimble of their conjuration providing a shield against their starry blades.

The other magical child was keeping the pirate busy. They could keep the first mates occupied for her. Long enough to finish the fight.

Lugonis dropped again, fifty feet, dodging a thrown building. There wasn't a thimble big enough for that. Luco could feel the starts of glitters at his fingertips. "Lugonis, we need a Grief Seed," he hissed.

Lugonis nodded, reaching inside his pocket for one of the four saved up that they had. His soul gem was dark, and they would need it before they hit the ground.

He didn't see the second tower until it was too late. They fell.

The rain hadn't stopped, and the ground flooded with violet rain. Walpurgisnacht was dead. Luco ignored it all, weeping, holding the shattered remains of Lugonis' soul gem in his hands.

There was no more Neverland. There was no more flying, or wishes, or kisses. Lugonis was gone, swatted out of the sky reaching for one more Grief Seed to help the other magical child. This couldn't be happening, and yet. And yet.

And yet. Kyubey looked on impassively, face still that serene white with unblinking eyes. Luco looked up. He didn't have the strength to glare, tears still streaming down his face. "Why?" he asked, voice raw and trembling. "He shouldn't have died. We're supposed to be invulnerable!"

Kyubey tilted his head. "His soul gem shattered. He can't live if that happens. I told you not to go."

"We wanted to help!"

"You didn't need to. Another magical child killed Walpurgisnacht. If you hadn't gone at all, he would be fine." Luco had never wanted to punch Kyubey more, and it didn't matter. He didn't have a sword, only an old stick. He couldn't have hurt him if he tried.

He sniffled. "I hate you."

Kyubey tilted his head. "Why? You did not listen to me, there were consequences for your actions, and you feel resentment towards me. I should think you would feel resentment towards yourself."

"Shut up!" He reached for his stick anyway, knowing it wouldn't do any good. It didn't matter. Lugonis was gone.

Kyubey only sighed. "There is another option, if you are so dissatisfied with this outcome."

Luco froze, stick in hand, staring up at him with wide eyes. Slowly, he lowered the stick. Lugonis had made a wish to bring them Neverland, to make himself Peter Pan for them both.

"I-I…" His voice was barely more than a squeak.

"Yes?" Kyubey prompted.

"I wish this never happened," he began. "I wish it didn't end like this. I wish Lugonis didn't get hurt, and we kept going, and things turned out okay!"

Kyubey lifted his head. "But of course."

Luco screamed. It hurt. It hurt _so bad_ , from his chest to his throat. He barely noticed that he was no longer on the ground. He shut his eyes, ignoring the bright light around him.

He fell.

The city was in ruins, but they staggered back to the evacuation center, Luco's arm around Lugonis shoulders. Lugonis had offered to fly. Luco said he was so dizzy he might throw up if they tried.

"I don't remember hitting the ground," Lugonis muttered. "We've never fallen like that before."

"And let's never do it again, because it sucked," Luco agreed. His own soul gem was in his hand, green to Lugonis' red, clutched to his chest. Kyubey was on Lugonis' shoulder this time, watching impassively.

They glanced either way, ensuring the hallway was clear, before slipping into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. Lugonis pulled off his raincoat, turning on the taps to wash the mud from his face. Luco mirrored him, setting his soul gem carefully on the counter as he did.

Lugonis eyed it. "Where did that come from?"

"We fell."

"I got that part. Mine's red, that's definitely not mine. Where did it come from?"

Kyubey jumped from his shoulder, pushing the hot water tap as far as it would go. Temperature didn't seem to bother him very much. "You fell, and you died, and Luco took on your pain and healed you with his wish. It'll be harder to enchant him now, but you're both alive now. I should think you'd be happy about that."

Luco gave his brother an awkward thumbs-up. "I have no idea what my powers are now," he admitted. "But I'm kind of glad I saved the chance for a wish until right now. I wasn't sure if I was going to need to, because you had yours and that was good enough, but you got…" His voice stopped, and he swallowed, forcing himself to continue. "You got really hurt, and you were dead, and Kyubey helped me fix it. I'll take sharing Grief Seeds if it means we get to share."

Lugonis sighed, withdrawing from the tap. There was still mud on his cheek. He reached over, taking Luco's hands in his. "I'm grateful I'm not dead, for a start," he said. "I wish you didn't have to, but I'm glad. Now we can look out for each other even more, and Walpurgisnacht is gone, too."

He glanced at Kyubey. "That other magical child that we were helping. Where did she go?"

"She vanished. I don't know where she went." Kyubey tilted his head. "She was always a mystery. I don't know what her powers were."

"Huh," Luco said, and shrugged. "Oh, well. One less person to watch out for, I do suppose." He looked up at Lugonis. "I'm sorry I didn't ask, but I really hope you're okay with this."

Lugonis cracked a smile, bright and beautiful and worth the world. "This way we're both invulnerable, so long as we don't fall that far again. I'll take it."

He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Luco's lips. They'd kissed before, cheeks and noses and foreheads and knuckles, but never on the lips. All their classmates thought doing so meant getting cooties. If Lugonis had cooties, he was pretty sure he had them already, too, considering how little they were apart. He smiled, taking Lugonis' hands, and returned the kiss.

He tasted like pixie dust.


End file.
